Sawada-sensei!
by LadyOrange27
Summary: Yamamoto Takeshi always believed that baseball brought him all the joys his life could offer as a growing teenager. Though that all changes when his class is administered by a new teacher who, not only is popular for his combination of hotness and adorableness - and clumsiness - but reveals to him things and feelings he never thought of taking seriously. PAIRING: 8027
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn is respectfully owned by author and artist Akira Amano. Plots are solely constructed under the writer of this fanfiction's personal design and anything that may relate to the current chapter or subsequently shall be considered as a coincidence and not plagiarized

* * *

 _ **Prologue:**_ _ **Fate Sealed?**_

Something is smelling really good. Delicious. His eyelids lift themselves and the first signs to know that it was morning were the strips of watery daylight that fell through the slight gaps 'tween the drapes, the fresh look of the simple room which he recalled was dark in shades have now enhanced into a bunch of new light colors, and the indistinct noise bustling downstairs was no doubt coming from his Pops' shop - a Sushi restaurant - a good enough proof that he woke up from sleep.

His body feels exhausted. Very. These are one of the times that he decides to oversleep than get up early to do his usual morning sprint. Sasagawa-senpai was rather forceful in climbing up and down the mountain they went to during their hiking the other day that it was getting sort of painful on the knees. He does his own exercises since he's a baseball athlete, but the way his Senpai does his is too much in his opinion. A boxing extremist, suitable for his boisterous pitch and his amazing stamina even when he yells out his catchphrases: Extreme.

Today, he's free from those activities and has the time all to himself unless he retracts his thought in passing up his routine. It was Sunday, a weekend. Also, his last break before school started again. Bracing himself, the young man pressed his palms against his wooden floor for support in his arms to hoist half of his weight to sit upward, pain from his legs jolting all over him in the process. As soon as the ache subsided, he sighed and brushed his fingers against dark strands on his hair before going back to his task in fully standing up.

That was where things got more hard. He could barely remain straight when his knees gave in to defeat. Muscles slacked and by the time that he knew it, he was falling. He nearly dropped to kiss the floor but his good reflexes saved him from the disaster as one of his hands grabbed on the edge of the table on the right side of his bed which was thankfully strong enough to hold up someone as heavy as him. The boy stayed that way for awhile before trying again, this time successfully. He went over his closet to wear something both presentable and suitable for the time and cold weather until he chose a simple grey shirt and a pair of white pants before leaving the room.

Carefully descending the stairs, the chattering he heard earlier grew louder and a bit clearer - if he were paying attention to the conversation. Passing through an open entrance that had white curtains that only covered a fourth of its size, he met a wide grin of a man who looked like him although twenty years older, dressed in white clothing of a Japanese chef and a knife in hand.

"Good Morning, Takeshi!" He greeted.

The boy, Takeshi, responded. "Morning, Dad!"

"How was the hiking with Ryohei?"

Takeshi smiled wryly and gave one word. "Extreme."

His dad laughed. "I know what you mean. He's got a wild stamina."

"I'm more surprised his timid sister was able to catch on. She barely broke out a sweat."

"Oh?" The older one raised a brow as he spoke teasingly. "You interested with Kyoko-chan? I can give you a few tips on how to get her. Trust me on that."

"Thanks but no. Kyoko-chan's just a friend." Giving a quick look at the view he saw that their shop was buzzing with many customers. "Did something happen? We don't usually have a lot of people at this hour."

"Ah, yes." His father agreed with the change of subject. "It's a busy day, I guess? We better make the most of it if it's only today we get this number of orders. Come on. Help me out in slicing the onions here a bit. My eyes are watering."

"Sure!"

Wrapping around him an apron and washing his hands, Takeshi did as he was told. Cutting through the vegetable with care and ability, he soon tossed the little pieces over the other ingredients that are to add flavor to the sauce of a dish. He proceeded in heating water to a large pan which was for someone's ramen. One by one he finished the tasks he could to match the amount of work his father could handle before taking his breakfast in the other room which leaded to their family's kitchen.

There, he spent less than half an hour to eat and clean the utensils. Later he went back into the restaurant to see if there was anything he needed to do. His old man declined the offer.

"What do you take me for? I've still got enough life in me to take care of things myself, you know. You go out and meet some friends and relax. I'll call you when I need you."

Reluctantly, he went out. Knowing the man, if Takeshi were to insist, they would just go on in trying to push each other to do what they want or need to. This is his dad's favorite place, the shop is his sanctuary, so it'd be best not to try and force on it if it was already announced that his assistance wasn't required.

Takeshi made it to the front door with his navy jacket and wallet kept at its pocket, slipping his white sneakers on then walking out of the house but not till he shouted that he's leaving and got a reply back. What can he do for today? He didn't feel like running nor did he desire to meet anyone in particular. Just then he recalled that there was a new video game that was recently released in town. It was the latest version of an RPG he had a fancy for not too long ago. He was barely finished with the current version but then they had to bring to the public a new one. Now he has to catch up with it. However, it was beginning to pique his interest to determine if it was anything better than what he had.

Taking a few turns but with extra caution due to his tired legs, he finally located the store he heard was selling them only, to his dismay, found it closed. The young man brought his hands to the margins of his face and squinted as he tried to peek into the glass window. No one was inside. Disheartened, Takeshi stepped back and walked away. He could try tomorrow but he has his baseball club that's about to introduce its early recruits and there's no way he's going to abandon that at all even if his body didn't fully recover from the hiking. Baseball was his passion and his best friend. Though he was quite disappointed that he couldn't buy the game's new version, a silly video game won't win him that easily.

Looking up the sky, he could see it darken. It's going to rain soon. He heard some neighbors say that it was going to be a strong one. Now that he thought about it, he should have brought an umbrella with him.

 _Might as well head home for now_ , he thought. Going around the area without any object to protect him from the droplets was never a good thing for him. If he was lucky, as most would say he was, he could make it in time before it started pouring. Quickly he moved in directions to make the long walk home just a few minutes away. He barely saw anyone and assumed they were all in their own shelters. If only he knew what the weatherman had broadcast today. Without looking in the last second, he stumbled upon a solid figure, albeit quite shorter than him, dropping backwards on his butt and onto the stoic concrete. He heard a light gasp coming in front of him and he opened his eyes after his body ruled over the throbbing. An unfamiliar mop of brown hair had strands flying on the wind's back, a finely shaped face under it. But what caught Takeshi's by surprise was the pair of semi-wide caramel eyes staring at him. Creamy. Orange. Caramel. A color he couldn't put a word on.

"Oh my goodness! I'm terribly sorry!" The person immediately jumped to his feet and bent over to the dark haired boy, extending a hand to help him up. Takeshi slowly accepted it as he still gazed at the man's face. The other didn't seem to notice the awkward attention he was given and began to glance at different areas on the teen. "Are you hurt? Any injuries?" He asked, deep voice laced with concern. This made the other blush faintly, mentally scolding himself for _actually_ staring.

"None that I'm aware of." He responded after he was already in his feet.

"Ah. That's a relief." The stranger nodded while shyly scratching the back of his head. "Sorry. I was in a rush, see. Because I was late, I had to take a few detours but ended up getting lost... Never expected so much to change while I was away."

Takeshi blinked curiously. "You've been here before?"

"I grew up here. Namimori is my hometown but I had to move to the city for a while."

"Oh." Looking around as if he was searching for something, Takeshi looked back at the man with a grin. "Well, I guess you could say that the town's gotten really different compared to before. It's slowly being modernized with the other areas nearby."

"No wonder I barely recognized the place. I was beginning to think that I took the wrong train."

The young man laughed, amusement clearly conveyed. "Don't worry. You're in the right place."

Smiling timidly, the other laughed along. "Thanks."

If he didn't have the skills to mask his emotions, he would have openly _cooed_ at how adorable this guy was. Never in his life had he thought he would meet one who perfectly fit the category. But this person was also... beautiful - in a masculine way!Getting back to the _real_ topic at hand, Takeshi asked, "So, where were you trying to go anyway?"

"Hm? Oh right! I was trying to get to Namimori High."

"What for?"

"To submit some important documents."

"Are you transferring back here then?"

The stranger shook his head, "No... I'm here to complete my requirements before I start my first day as a teacher of the incoming first years tomorrow."

"I see." Takeshi quietly muttered in understanding. But it wasn't analyzed completely until an sympathetic, invisible force whacked him to realize what the other had said. Whipping his head to face the startled brunette, he almost yelled in utter disbelief. "Wait - you're going to be my teacher?!"

And he was returned with a reproachful pout at the unintentional insult.

* * *

 **a/n:** **8027! It's a rare pairing but really lovable. This is just a test run to see how the story goes. So I'm not certain about whether I should continue or not. I'd like to hear your opinions as fellow readers of the website. Give me some feedback about what you think of the intro or if I confused some stuff or if you just want to stab me with my grammatical errors.**

 **( - u - )**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: New View**

Graduating high school was a huge accomplishment in his part. Being called Dame-Tsuna since his childhood was never a pleasant memory to carry around him but it soon proved its worth when he got so tired of hearing it. That being degraded needed to stop. It came to his awareness that doing nothing and remaining as the common object of humiliation wouldn't bring him anywhere but down, down, down until that one unexpected morning urged him to change, to do better, to become greater.

That was when it all started. That was when everyone else witnessed him evolve before their eyes.

Dame-Tsuna grew as an independent, intelligent and successful alumni of Namimori. One of the very few who made it to the top as a matter of fact. It later became hard for his bullies to badger him like they used to, shame dragging them away from the boy. Impressed female classmates, try as they may, began approaching him with the practice of flirtatious movements but to no avail. Mothers pushed their daughters to his arms, fathers compared their sons to his achievements. Later on, masks of camaraderie were displayed to be in his good list. But Tsuna was no fool.

Before everything, he watched and observed how they are and how he cannot keep them glued in his life. Being the good observer he was, he took it into account to be kind, humble and understanding but never too trusting, even when they seem too promising. His hyper intuition, a gift and a curse, warned him so. Although he was taught to be a generous man, he knew there were things people wanted from him something he cannot give. Even he knew his own limits.

College was around the corner, he had come to a decision that he had to leave. For now. The city was a strange thing to hear that it made him curious to see what it was like himself. With no specific course to take, he deduced to get to know things properly before choosing rashly. And the 'City' was the right place to start. Bidding his lovely mother and giddy father a temporary farewell, he left his home to find a place in this world.

Four years have now been. And he starts to question the familiar yet foreign neighborhood he once was born and grew up in if it was all intended that he came back to become as he is? A teacher?

The first person to know aside from his parents seemed to give out a thorough reaction that he probably made a huge mistake somewhere along the line.

Tsuna glared at the blatant insult the dark haired teenager expressed upon discovering his new identity. It would have spared him the agony if the kid kept it to himself. He never asked for his opinion either. And to think this irritatingly tall guy was also going to be one of his students. Here he thought he was a full grown man! Seems like nature can be so unfair with him.

"Yes." The brunette said as he strained the biting fury to give this one a thing or two in respecting his elders. Shocked by his own outburst, the young man started to apologize for his early behavior and bowed. This act was enough to erase all of Tsuna's anger though a bit was still hurt from the yell. Did he give an air of a high school student? Or was it because he looked too young to be one (hopefully that was the case). Or... Gasp! Maybe the accidental collision with the other made him look pathetic! He was running late, too! Oohh.. You did it now, Tsuna. So much for making a good impression in the first meeting.

"Are you okay?" Realizing he was not alone, Tsuna turned to meet worried brown eyes.

"I'm fine. Just haven't thought that I didn't look like one at all until now. You pointed it out for me."

Panicking, the teenager tried to find the right words to aid the man's pride but faltered when the other merely chuckled to himself.

"Don't fret. I can sort of understand why you were affected with my response. Let's leave it. All good, okay?"

"A-alright... But, really, it was hard to tell that you were an adult. Well, not entirely. You do have a bit-" _A bit?!_ "- of character that shows that you know a lot what it means to be one. I want to make it up to you. You're my new teacher so I should at least try to be more welcoming."

"Well..." Tsuna bent his head slightly to the side as his eyes rolled up in wonder. Then a thought came in. Facing the expecting boy, he smiled happily. "I could use some help in locating the school. Four years in the city and exposed to a lot of different environments made me forget which way was which."

He almost giggled at the beaming face his student was making but held it in. That would be unmanly of you, Tsuna. Don't.

"Sure thing! I'm Yamamoto Takeshi. Class 1-B. Please take care of me." Takeshi extended his hand out for Tsuna to shake. Tsuna grinned while taking it to his own.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi. Tsuna for short. For now, please take care of me, Yamamoto-kun."

"Oh yeah!" The two exchanged a hearty laugh and soon walked down the road, Takeshi leading the way. He slowly got the hang of his sore legs and picked up the pace as his teacher followed. His brain reminding him of one little problem.

"If I recall... There was a broadcast that today was going to rain really-"

 **Clap!**

The hissing of raindrops raced down from the sky, creating puddles on the ground as thunder clapped over their heads. Both men froze in their position. It was a few moments of the plain sound of falling water and rumbling of thunder before Tsuna finally spoke.

"Yamamoto-kun. Please tell me you have an umbrella."

"... No."

"Darn."

 **Clap!**

 **. . . . . .**

"Um, Yamamoto-san. Where's Takeshi-kun?"

Takeshi's father, Tsuyoshi, was mildly impressed with the group of girls that came in early just to see his son. He could already tell that by the looks of them, they had been crushing on him. Something he feels proud of. Cheerfully, he set their orders on the table before them while keeping the subject in line.

"Ahaha! Takeshi went out for a walk. The other day he went hiking with Sasagawa-kun and came home numb. So I had him go walk it off to relax them."

One girl with short, ginger hair puffed a grouchy frown. Crossing her arms, she mumbled childishly, "Hmph. Hiking? Takeshi-kun should have invited me."

Another girl wearing walnut pigtails complained at her. "Eeh? You're just saying that so he could help you climb up. You hate the mountains, too."

"S-shut up! As long as it's Takeshi-kun, I wouldn't mind. You're just jealous!"

"Says someone who even didn't get invited!"

Gosh. What kind of women are these two? Poor Tsuyoshi, to have to deal with such rackety customers like them when it barely reached noon. Almost forgetting that there was one more of them with long, wavy, maroon hair, he silently prayed that she was more tamed.

That girl slammed the table, and very soon all eyes were on her. At first, Tsuyoshi was about to express his gratitude to her for stopping the ridiculous argument, but the plan was later thrown out when she joined in, adding more fuel to it using her arrogant attitude.

"Nonsense! You're both being silly!"

Oh? This is new-

"Your versions are so old that Takeshi-sama would easily turn you two down. I can best you all simply because I'll be the one carrying him!"

What?

Instantly, the three started bickering at each other with the purpose of pulling their hair out, entirely failing to remember that their dream boy's dad was in front of them. Tsuyoshi then decided to get back to work, departing from the girls' discussion. It would have served a great deal to kick them out, but a storm was coming and it wasn't in the man's nature to let them leave now and get them sick. Clearly, they hadn't brought an umbrella along. Which reminds him...

Peering at the front door, his eyes spotted his son's umbrella, freezing innocently. This started to worry him. The rain has started falling as well. Hopefully, that kid of his was able to stop by at a friend's house in time or at least somewhere safe.

 **. . . . . .**

 _Pitter patter. Pitter patter._ That was the rhythm of the small droplets coming from the sky. The hard walls only muted a part of it, making it more quiet than not. Right now, they were walking down the hallway inside the familiar building, trying their hardest to step forward without having to suffer a fall from the little puddles their drenched clothes were making. It wasn't their fault. Neither if them had an umbrella or an object to protect them from the rain except for Tsuna's briefcase that held his papers to submit for work which the man took upon himself as first priority to defend from getting ruined. At least they made it in time to the school, so it was better than staying outside and getting more wet.

The air was kind of chilly but bearable. Takeshi shook his head to swish out the remaining rainwater from his hair. Tsuna was busy wringing his coat. They were both soaked.

"I should have stopped to hear the news." Tsuna muttered.

Takeshi looked over his shoulder at the other before laughing heartily. "Nah. You were in a rush, remember? Things just happen."

"Yeah, well... I'm pretty sure you were heading home. Sorry if I got you stuck here with meaning."

"No, no. I did say that I wanted you to feel welcomed, right?" The teenager went on walking, eyes scanning for the right office. Years changed the school and its structure so being careful as a newcomer was tricky. He wouldn't mind since he's already friends with people who'd tell him where to go but he needed to make certain that his new teacher got the gist of the area even for a bit. "I was going home because I had nothing else to do. It's true that I needed to get away from the rain, but you happened to be a really interesting guy so I couldn't possibly leave you alone."

The comment embarrassed him, not sure whether it was addressed as a compliment or a snorting remark. Tsuna chose to ignore it when he was brought to a door. A moment was taken until he recognized it as the office the email he got last time told him where to give his documents. Beside him, Takeshi was keeping intact his genuine grin with his hands on his sides, confirming that this was it. The brunette smiled.

"Thank you, Yamamoto-kun."

"No prob! And..." He inched closer to the other's right ear as if he was cautious for anyone eavesdropping on them, "If your for our Math class, please don't call me out to answer in front."

Tsuna was taken by surprise but soon broke into a soft laugh, the younger man seeming confused. "Math? Don't worry. I'm just an English teacher."

"That, too!"

"I'll do my best to make things easier. But I'm not into favorites, you know."

"Sure!" Takeshi watched him knock then enter the door when he was grabbed on the shoulder by a larger hand, turning that it was his upcoming student's.

"Yes..?" He asked gently.

"I... uh... See you tomorrow, Sensei!" The dark haired boy directly turned and ran away, not waiting for the man's response. Takeshi reached the entrance. Seeing that the rain was easing slightly, he dashed outside to his house, racing the challenged droplets. A warm bath should be helpful once he's home.

 **. . . . . .**

Tsuna blinked at the empty space and stared at where his new student last stood. Maybe he really was in a hurry to leave him? He did get the kid wet, he's a magnet of bad luck and it was always there to rub people off of him. Somehow, this saddened him. He held onto the doorknob and was about to twist it open until the door opened itself, revealing a girl with long, black hair and calculating green eyes.

"Uuhh, hi... I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

"..."

"The new English teach - gwaa!" Tsuna was immediately jumped into an enthusiastic hug, fragrance of roses filling his nose.

"Oh, yes! The new guy! Come right in! My, you're soaking wet. Got caught up in the bad weather?"

"Er, yeah... Something like that."

"Well, you're not the only one. I just changed into new clothing. Wind gave me a terrible hair, too. Here, to dry yourself." She handed out a grey towel, letting him take it. He politely thanked her because he was getting worried if he'll have to stay wet and get sick (which he certainly does not want to happen). The woman was pleased with his behavior. "Sorry about the cold glare earlier. I thought you were a burglar trying to steal our paperwork. It takes a whole freaking day to get everything done, you know?"

"That's okay. Yes, it is tiring to get them done." Although he highly doubts that anyone would want to just steal random schoolwork unless they really held an important value.

Taking a bow, the other introduced herself. "My name is Nomono Miyaki. I'm the assistant of the school director. Right now, I'm the only one facilitating so you can just give me your papers so I can have them dealt with accordingly. Feel free to stand by till the rain is gone."

"Oh, sure. Thank you, Nomono-san."

"Yep. Yep. By the way, no need to be too formal with me. Just 'Miyaki' is fine."

"How about Miyaki-chan for now? I think its better that way. You can call me Tsuna."

"Tsu-chan?"

"Tsuna."

"Tsu-chan."

"Tsuna."

"Tsu-chan."

"Tsu - oh, never mind." He took a mental note to have patience with this woman. She seems like someone who won't stop pestering if you if you get into her strings. Miyaki gave him a playful smile before looking back at his papers. Stamping over some areas then filing them to separated drawers. Tsuna took his time to face the window, its glass getting foggy with the rain's moisture. With his cheek on his palm, he let his mind explore back from his home to the train to Namimori to the road to this Yamamoto Takeshi then to sleep.

 **. . . . . .**

He called out to his dad when he entered the house. Tsuyoshi soon came running to him with an exhausted expression mixed with relief.

"Dad? What's wrong-?"

His old man firmly grabbed on his shoulders. "Your fans are what's wrong! Can they not take a hint to leave you for a day? They're at the shop, after each other's throats!"

"Ohh... They can't be that bad."

A shrieking voice echoed from the shop. "You can't have him, you masked Joker!"

"What was that, Dreadlocks?"

"Everyone, stop it."

"Shut up, Hercules!"

The two men listened for a moment before Takeshi headed into where the source of this ruckus was.

 **. . . . . .**

Tsuyoshi collapsed onto his chair, taking a cardboard to fan himself.

"Aahh... Finally. I wouldn't know what to do if you hadn't arrived on time, Takeshi. Old man can't handle those girls. Your mother wasn't anything like them, I swear."

They decided to close shop, the three girls as the last customers after they had chosen some things to take out. Since the weather did not look like a good sign for them, they later flipped on the signboard from the entrance as 'Closed'. After a steamy bath and getting into warmer clothes, Takeshi began wiping some tables and then carried a few trays to the sink.

"Sorry, Pops." He apologized, "I didn't think they would be that troublesome."

"I can see what you mean by that. Those little rugrats suddenly evolved into clueless flowers when you showed up. How long have you been popular again?"

Takeshi shrugged. "Didn't believe I was that much. I always thought they were just being friendly."

Heavily, Tsuyoshi sighed. "Son, it's time you realize what their true intentions are. Speaking of which," Crossing his arms on his chest, the man became stern. "What took you so long? I thought you would be back on time like always. I tried contacting your teammates but they said they haven't seen you at all. What happened?"

Great. Yamamoto Tsuyoshi has gone parent mode. Something Takeshi tries to ignore or, at the most, avoid. He fought to face him squarely and not flinch, this version of his father was very perceptive after all.

 **. . . . . .**

"So you helped out this new teacher of yours get to school after you got yourself depressed over a silly video game and got punished by getting stuck in the rain?"

"You make it sound so painful, old man."

"Which really is! I'm glad you were being kind to your teacher and all, but that Ow-PD? Are-pee-geez?"

"RPG, Dad. R-P-G. Its an acronym for Role Playing Game."

"Like I need to know that stuff. Anyway, don't feel bad that you couldn't buy it. It's a computer, virtual, nonexistent reality people these days get into. Not saying you're not allowed to play them. Just want you to know that there's a life in the real world - not just baseball - that can give you more emotions and experience if you let it."

He slowly absorbed these words, taking them to the best of his comprehension. His dad has a point, life has a point, and he needs to let it in if he wants to feel its worth. Come to think of it, perhaps its already starting to seep in and take its effect, his mind falling back to that brown soft hair and calming creamy eyes.

"Yeah... Maybe I will..." He softly whispered to himself. And, to his amazement, he was looking forward to something else other than meeting the team's new members.

* * *

 **a/n: What's this? New chapter? Oh! I thought of thanking those who spent the time to read and comment on this simple creation but decided not to let you read such long... notes of gratitude~! But really, thank you so much! Mwah!**

 **Nomono Miyaki is an OC. Don't fret, she's won't ruin anything, I tell you. And I'm thinking of keeping this on and see where it leads me. I hope I didn't offend any RPG gamers out there, this is just a random convo between Tsuyoshi's opinion and for Takeshi and other teenagers' sake.**

 **It's gonna be a long ride, guys, so keep your seat belts on and enjoy the drive. Next chap? Preview's down here (._.)**

 _What section was Tsuna going to handle? He never got to ask... Tsuna made the same soft smile from yesterday. It still made the dark haired teenager nervous and simultaneously excited..._

 _"Hey, Scum."_

 _"..._ _I fully expect your perseverance not only in my lessons but to the other's as well. This is your first year as High School students so it will be tougher than middle school. But don't stress, I'll make sure to be there for you to help you take those great steps to your achievement."_


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Adjustments**

The early days of April brought fresh sensations rippling into his body. Tsuna knew he was exaggerating but he thought the words fit this moment perfectly. Snuggling closely into his pillow, he inhaled the scent he recognized as vanilla and smiled sheepishly. The single blanket was warm against the thick layers of the cold air that yesterday's storm had left behind, adding to the comforting bliss he was having.

At the back of his mind, something pawed, urging him to get up. Willing it to stop, it only heightened itself to move him. Eyelids begun to open, light filtered his sight. For a brief period, Tsuna let his body roll on his bed freely as he was still half-awake. However, because he forgot the limited space his bed could only provide, it didn't allow him to do as much as he wanted, the last seconds brought him over the edge then to the floor.

Tsuna groaned. Sitting up, his eyes drifted around his room - wait.

This wasn't his room. Memories preceding unraveled that this was his apartment; in Namimori-a few blocks from his original house. Why was he here? Blankly, he stared at the clock opposite him. It read eight o'clock. Why did the time bother him so much? He noticed his favorite suit hanging on a natural toned wall. Where was he going? Slowly, everything fell into place. His eyes widened.

One word. Teach.

"Crap!" He yelled. Tsuna sprung to his feet but got his body tangled on the blanket and fell. Without processing the pain, he went for it a bit more carefully and headed to the bathroom to shower as fast as possible. Once he got out, ran he did to get himself dried and dressed. Thirty minutes before the Opening Ceremony. He cannot afford to be late. Not now when it's his first day. He knew he should have left the office when he had the chance, but he fell asleep till evening and had to wait for Miyaki. The woman didn't feel safe going home at dark during a rainy day and from the sole basics of his gentleman etiquette, it dragged him to stay.

Combing his hair down was always a fail so he did his best to make it less knotted and messy (even though it was also in vain). With only half of the time left, he gathered his things and dashed out of his door, voicing an 'I'm off' in between from habit despite the silent response.

He didn't get sick, thankfully. And from his mastering of the arts of running during his youth, as he would call it, he's hoping it would benefit him to get to his destination on time.

 **. . . . . .**

Takeshi was soundly snoring. Despite the sunlight that was already raging through his window, it didn't rouse him to consciousness. His arms clung onto his pillows as he evenly breathed, dreaming an imaginary dream. Nothing could wake him. But the booming voice of his old man was in a whole different level.

"Takeshi! Hurry up and get dressed! First day means the whole year!"

Slightly leaning over his shoulder, he rubbed his eyes to coax the sleepiness away. As Takeshi grinned silly at himself for a while, it was soon wiped off when he saw the time.

Tsuyoshi frowned at the ceiling which was his son's room upon hearing random sounds. He could only make out the scrambling feet and light mutters before going back to get his own work done. When he saw the dark haired teenager come down the stairs, he tossed a buttered toast at him. Instinctively, Takeshi caught it and started munching while arranging his belongings.

"Geez, you wouldn't budge earlier. I was planning to throw cold water at you but you looked really peaceful. Was today's dream that nice?" Tsuyoshi asked.

His son was speaking bread that his father couldn't get a word he was saying. He thought he should ask again, but then Takeshi broke him to it and had swiftly grabbed on his prepared bento, running towards the door and calling out that he was leaving now.

Tsuyoshi gave a delayed reply. Shaking his head, he went on with his task. Shop's about to open soon.

 **. . . . . .**

Relief filled his heavy lungs, gasping the air as he wiped away his sweat. He made it. Tsuna made it. The large school clock sung ten minutes before eight. It was a world record for the young teacher and he discovered that this running distance was nowhere in par with when he was in college. Despite the want to celebrate his triumph after honing his tardiness for many, many years, he had to fall in line before the Opening Ceremony begins. He noticed that a lot has changed. From the looks of it, now that it was sunny, Namimori High School appeared to be bigger than he remembered. He guessed that it was because of the growing population in the town he once knew, many elite classes chose to move in and create business here, thus the expansion of the building.

Setting foot beyond the front gates was harder than he imagined. Everyone was watching him, and he hated being the center of attention. Was there something wrong with his attire? Did his hair look too weird - numerous occasions he was told that it was _unique_ and he couldn't tell if that was good or bad? Was it because they knew he was Dame-Tsuna (most probably)?! It was getting easier to feign calmness in the frames of his exterior, but his stomach continued to knot inside him as his temple buzzed rapidly for possibilities. If only he regarded the flustered faces and very observant eyes on him, then he wouldn't think too hard on himself. Dense, Tsuna.

"There you are!" In a swift movement, Tsuna turned in time to catch Miyaki in the arms. Seriously, she just leapt and expected him to catch her? She has something going on with her trust exercises. They just met twenty four hours ago, too. "Thank you so much for walking me home, Tsu-chan! And I'm sorry for keeping you too long the other day!"

The brunette waved his hand in a mild length. "Don't need to thank me. It was dangerous, considering the time you ended."

"Hmm.. You're right." The two started walking forward, the stares slowly increasing at the pair. Miyaki didn't seem to be bothered by it so Tsuna assumed that she was ignoring them, something he decided to follow. The dark haired woman spoke, "I couldn't find you anywhere, so I reckoned you were running late."

"Well, I kinda was..." He whispered. The laugh coming from the other made him a bit flustered out of sheer embarrassment. Impulsively, he tuned up his defenses. "I-I forgot that I was back in Namimori! The rain was also too nice to sleep in. But at least I got here on time. So, there, I'm not late." He wanted to frown his displeasure at being teased at, but he was well trained to not let things get to him emotionally right away. The small pout on his lips paused Miyaki's goading. A grin etched across her dainty face.

"Keep that up, and the next thing you'll have is a fanclub."

Tsuna ceased in his steps. He looked at her, bewildered. "What?"

As if she failed to hear him, Miyaki circled an arm over his. She pointed at a direction, waiting for him to follow. "See that tree? With a building beside it? The others are lined over there. You'll know once you reach it. Just wait there till we begin, okay?" Tsuna nodded. A boisterous laugh caught both of their awareness and turning back, they saw a group of delinquents by the gate. Miyaki's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me." She said before leaving the brunette. Tsuna told himself to back away. This won't be pretty.

The bunch were freely smoking and throwing garbage at every corner. The feminine voice that interrupted them didn't move them at all.

"Excuse me. Please make way for the other students to get through. Also, pierces, smoking and littering are against the rules. You should be lining up with your respective classes."

One of them with multiple ratings and unnecessary ornaments scoffed, casually lighting up a cigar. "Lady, mind your own business. We own ourselves so better get lost if you want to be safe." His companions snorted in unison. "Whoever said that women are scary? My mom doesn't put up much of a fight either!"

Disturbed, Tsuna thought of intervening but what came next forced him to stop.

 **"Hey, Scum."**

Annoyed by the name directed at him, the pierced boy finally looked at Miyaki. His pupils dilated as his knees shook uncontrollably, profound sweat firming on his forehead. Sharp, monstrous, green eyes loomed over him, making him shrink instantly. A dark miasma floated in the background, and if he was just hallucinating, demonic horns coiled at each side of her head with long claws growing from her fingers.

"Listen and listen well, you little punk. You better pull yourself together if you want to stay here. But if you insist..." She reached out to the quivering student and _gently_ clutched onto his collar, pulling him towards her face, "... then get lost if you're not here for school or the next thing you know, you will find a _very_ important organ missing within seconds. And I promise it _won't_ be painful."

Tsuna wasn't amazed that the delinquents disappeared right away, but more on the hidden evil inside such a lady like Miyaki. He went back to getting in line with the other staff members after concluding that she would be fine. She did tell him to go ahead.

Special reminder: Never get on that woman's bad side. She might be as scary as _him_.

 **. . . . . .**

He made it in time for the Ceremony. It passed by as simple as that. Just formal speeches and small announcements.

Although he was happy to see Tsuna climb the platform, introduced as one of the new teachers in campus, it somehow bothered him when girls began fawning over him whilst boys were getting jealous for a new rival, a few with admiration. Takeshi can't blame them, Tsuna was too attractive for his own good. Wonder began to influence his thoughts at a question:

What section was Tsuna going to handle? He never got to ask.

After the Closing Ceremony, Takeshi roamed the corridors and asked room to room if this was the right class he was put on. Looking at the placard above the door's frame would have been helpful, but they announced that the rooms were in need to be reorganized due to the unexpected increase of students being enrolled, and he found it easier to ask around than search for his name in the lists posted outside. People would just tell him out of good will because everyone here almost remembered everyone. Sometimes than not, girls would stop him to greet and have a chat, others - male - would bring up topics he was more comfortable with. As time went by, he knew he had to move and settle himself before choosing to sit back with idle talk. Glancing back at his slip, he chanted the section, thinking it would come to him if he wants it to.

"1-B... 1-B... 1-B..."

A mellow voice called out nearby. "All for 1-B. Right this way, please."

Takeshi froze. The smoothness of the tone sounded similar to a person, a person linking to someone he knew not too long ago to forget.

Then it clicked: from yesterday.

Lifting his head up to look ahead, he felt his heart jug in rapid and incoherent beats, the rest of the world pausing in his favor.

There, standing elegantly by the doorway to his assumed classroom was the same new English teacher he saw got called over during the principal's speech and met on that twisted event the day before today, Sawada Tsunayoshi.

As if the other sensed his gaze, the man turned and locked eyes with the younger one's. He looked as surprised as he was. That was a good thing, yes, because they weren't expecting it. Neither knew which class they belonged to until today and Tsuna just moved in and didn't get to analyze his records of his students. So there's enough time to try and get used to seeing each other more often.

Tsuna flashed a soft smile like before. It still made the dark haired teenager nervous but simultaneously excited. Bowing slightly, Takeshi entered the room and chose a seat a bit far from the front but not too far from the back. It would serve as a sign of understanding to his shorter classmates who needed the front seats more than he did. A row away from the window looked promising and he chose the vacant seat just close to it.

Patiently waiting, he overheard a couple of girls exchange in bashful whispers.

"Hey, hey... Is he our new homeroom teacher? He looks really hot~"

"Right? He seemed too young when I saw him from earlier. He must have recently graduated. Usually, they'd let the older ones be our advisers."

"He must have great potential to be given the task. I wouldn't mind, though. I mean, he's too -"

"Everyone in?" The conversation was cut off when the Tsuna stood in the middle of the room, gaining all the concentration. Browsing over each of the occupants, he shortly nodded to himself and shuffled papers on his hands above his desk. "Alright. Guess we should start. Since its still the Orientation, you can relax." A few let out a relieved sigh with some sounding a kittenish giggle. Smiling, Tsuna continued, "Let me introduce myself first." Placing the sheets aside he met everyone's gaze and humbly bowed. "My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi. I will be your homeroom teacher all throughout the school year and will be handling your English classes. As a teacher, I fully expect your perseverance not only during my lessons but to the other's as well. This is your first year as High School students so it will be tougher than middle school. But don't stress, I'll make sure to be there for you to help you take those great steps to your achievement. Questions?"

He saw an arm from the left and called out to the student. A girl stood up, shyly playing with the ends of her skirt. "Sensei, are you single?" The others turned back at Tsuna, majority gazing with a certain expectation.

Tsuna gaped at the personal query but directly covered it. He did ask for it without adding any restrictions for personal background. He could always be subtle, though. Clearing his throat, he politely answered. "I am." As soon as he recognized the obvious glee in their faces, he hastily added, "But that doesn't mean that I'm interested to engage in one at the moment." He included flatly. The girls immediately deflated from their short-lived excitement. _Phew!_

Another student asked his age, he gently replied he's twenty-seven. Someone from the back queried his hometown since he didn't look like he was from around the area. Tsuna explained that Namimori is his home, followed by why he left. It was a strenuous interview, one he didn't want to embrace at all, but Tsuna resisted to throw his arms out and cry out alleluia when someone _finally_ asked a sensible one. He blinked when it was Takeshi who voiced it out.

"What made you decide to become a teacher? And why Namimori?"

Everyone stopped and worked out the reasons why the brunette was one. They all faced him with a new sense of curiosity. Even Tsuna was surprised by the direct query given to him. Why? Why was he a teacher? What did he want to succeed in it? And why Namimori out of all the places anyone would find practical to work in other than a faraway, small but growing town? Thinking this, he frowned.

"I didn't dream to become one." He admitted. "In fact, I didn't have much of a dream at all. I was just an ordinary school boy who enjoyed the simplicity of life without expecting anything greater at all. I just wanted to have fun and do whatever I wanted to.

"I was dubbed as a 'failure'. No matter what I did, the bitter feeling of not doing anything right came closer. I started to accept myself as a pathetic, snotty, little kid with no ambitions. I was accepting everything." He trailed off. His students were beginning to wonder if he was going to cry, but their eyes portrayed their awestruck expression when Tsuna shared to them an exultant smile. "But then someone came to me. He taught me a lot of things about being a failure and being a winner. He was mean, I tell you, but I learned that he wanted to show me the reality of life. It's not about living your days with sugar and with nothing to worry about, it's about how you make everything worth the sacrifices to get to that sweet taste of surviving through everything. Once you realize it, then you want to go for it. And then I had an admission - that I wanted to go and share this knowledge. And the first people I wanted to share it with are you guys."

Despite the watering eyes coming from a number of his class, he wanted to encourage them more. "I want to show you what my teacher showed me. Maybe one day, you'll teach someone about it, too."

Everyone was silent. Sniffs of noses indicated that there were already tears and then the bell rung for next period.

 **. . . . . .**

"I think I made a bad impression on them." Tsuna sulked on his desk inside the faculty room. Miyaki watched him with pity and patted him on the back.

"Don't feel bad about it. I think you inspired them!"

"They didn't say anything after I left. They just went on crying. They cried. I made them cry, Miyaki-chan. I'm so low. I'm the worst teacher. This is the end for me." The mood became sadder and sadder for him that some of his co-workers worried and walked out of the room.

Miyaki harrumphed and pushed him back into his seat to look her in the eyes, holding him on both shoulders. She came into the room to see if everyone - including the new teachers - were comfortable with the adjustments but what unfolded was a gloomy atmosphere, Tsuna as the source.

"Tsu-chan! This is your first day! You set their expectations about what life really is! They should be prepared about it since this is their last stage before they finally experience it and you gave them a chance to see what needs to be done. They need more words like that to keep them going. They need you, so don't back out right off the bat! Man up!"

"I am a man."

"Whatever. Anyways, you did splendidly. Come on. Get in the next class and see what their reactions are."

"But-"

Miyaki sharpened her gaze demonically, **"You dare go against me, scum?"**

"Hiie! No, ma'am! I'm on it!" Tsuna immediately ran outside to get back to his classroom. When he arrived, he slid the door open and was appalled. Everyone was already standing erect, eyes fixed on him as they bowed in a refined unison.

"Please take care of us, Sawada-sensei!"

He was speechless. Stuttering would just jumble things up, so he just stared, loss of words to fill in the quiet, floating air in between. Without skipping a beat, many of the teenagers surrounded him with praises and thanks. They expressed their joy in having him around and are hopeful to teach them many other things as they will study harder in exchange to his efforts. Tsuna flushed and some girls and boys squealed at his sudden shyness.

He was so happy. Tsuna knew he will be more than that in the near future to come. He will embark alongside them their struggles and success. He will be their pillar of support if they want. He will give them a new reason to become better, become the best and achieve their goals in life. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Takeshi behind the crowd. He was grinning in approval. But Tsuna couldn't smile back as his vision instantly blurred, a certain part of his body ached, voices muted with worried faces. And the next thing he knew, his world collapsed to black.

* * *

 **a/n: I literally cried here. (Q.Q) I just wanted to keep this simple, but I got overwhelmed by Tsuna's reason to take education and suddenly remembered the things my HS teachers did for me. - sniffs - Let's not get emotional, shall we?**

 **M-Moving on! I hope you learned something! Sawada-sensei is not just going to be all about the romance but also about how our Tsuna reaches out to his students.**

 **Questions are entertained and if there are any grammatical errors you spotted, please point them out for me, please. Thanks again for the support! Mwah!**

 **(._.)**


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